Seeed Studio launched Wio GPS tracker with a 2G GSM module a few months ago, and while it should work in some countries, others are phasing out 2G networks, and only support 3G or 4G. The company has now launched an update with Wio LTE board with the same form factor, and most of the same features except they replaced the 2G/Bluetooth/GNSS module with a 4G LTE/GNSS module, and Atmel SAMD21 ARM Cortex M0+ microcontroller by an STMicro STM32 ARM Cortex-M4F MCU.
Wio LTE board specifications:
- MCU – STMicro STM32F405RG ARM Cortex M4F MCU @ 168 MHz with 1MB flash, 192+4KB SRAM
- Storage – micro SD slot
- Connectivity via Quectel EC21-A (America) module
- LTE Cat.1 modem:
- FDD LTE: B2/B4/B12 WCDMA: B2/B4/B5
- AT Command: 3GPP TS27.007 and enhanced AT Commands
- Data – LTE-FDD Max 10Mbps(DL) Max 5Mbps (UL)
- NanoSIM card
- 2x u.FL antenna connectors
- GNSS – GPS/BeiDou/GLONASS/Galileo/QZSS with 1x u.FL GNSS antenna connector
- LTE Cat.1 modem:
- Audio – 3.5mm audio jack with mic and stereo audio
- Expansion – 6x Grove Connectors (2x Digital, 2x Analog, 1x UART, 1x I2C)
- USB – 1x micro USB port for power and firmware update
- Misc – RGB LED, LTE power button, MCU reset button
- Power Supply – 5V via micro USB port, 2-pin JST 1.0 header for battery
- Dimensions – 54.7mm x 48.2mm
When I reviewed Wio GPS Tracker, the instructions provided to use with the Arduino IDE did not work very well. So let’s hope they will come up with a better and up-to-date getting started guide for Wio LTE board in their Wiki. Alternatively, the new board also supports Espruino for JavaScript programming for the I/Os, micro SD card, 4G, SMS, and GPS, and shown in Espruino Wio LTE page.
Seeed Studio is now taking pre-order for Wio LTE US Version for $97.50 plus shipping. Quectel also has other EC21 modules like EC21-E (EMEA, Korea, Thailand, India), EC21-AUT (Australia), and others, so I’d expect Seeed Studio to also launch variants of Wio LTE board that work in other countries.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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We will have coverage around the globe. We will have global coverage with 4 boards available within the first few weeks.
I can see Particle E-Series modules have a whole bunch of certifications:
“Certifications – FCC, CE, IC wireless certifications, PTCRB (End-Product Certified) & GCF cellular certifications, RoHS”
Are PTCRB / GCF compulsory? How to check if it has been done on boards like Wio LTE? Or is that enough is the Quectel module is certified?
Bit O.T. Does anyone know of a 3G compatible simple voice/sms only “dumb” cell phone for sale that does not run on Android and does not spy on you? Here’s why I ask:
It will take a little while, but 2G will be gone here in Indonesia too. My venerable Nokia C3 is 2G only. It still works here in Indonesia, but it no longer works when I go to Singapore. There’s no way I’m plugging my SIM card into my Android device where in two seconds Google and dozens of app makers will steal all of my contacts and sell them, spy on them, and spam them.
@Drone
You can make a search on Aliexpress for “3G phone” and limited to price to $30/$35, and you’ll get a few models:
https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?minPrice=&maxPrice=30&isBigSale=n&isFreeShip=n&isNew=n&isFavorite=n&isMobileExclusive=n&isLocalReturn=n&shipCountry=TH&shipFromCountry=&shipCompanies=&SearchText=3g+phone&CatId=0&g=y&initiative_id=SB_20170907041555&needQuery=y
@cnxsoft
Yes, that search turns up a bunch of old 3G dumb phones, mostly phones from Nokia running series 4 code. It does’t show any newly manufactured 3G dumb phones. Which is what I’m looking for.
There used to be a lot of old 3G compatible dumb phones around here in Jakarta on the used market, but now they are being bought up and sent to places that turned off 2G like Singapore. In places like Singapore the old phones sell for a lot more money to people like me who know to never trust smart phones.
I guess I’ll have to get an old 3G compatible dumb phone too, before it’s too late and they are all gone.
The “new” Nokia company (HMD Global) really BLEW IT when they recently released a new version of Nokia’s classic 3310 candy bar phone. The new 3310 phone is 2G only (talk about stupid!) If only they would have tossed a 3G radio chip in the new 3310 instead, it would have sold like hot cakes!
@cnxsoft
Actually, that search turns up some phone ads that say they are 3G, but they are not. Typical Ali-Express stuff.
Instead go to this page:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_Asha_series
Now look near the very bottom of the page and you will see a big list of “Nokia-branded 3G phones”.
I recommend sticking with 3G with phones that run Nokia’s Series 40 OS. Avoid Symbian OS, it’s buggy, bloated, and power hungry compared to Series 40. You can be pretty sure any old Nokia phone that doesn’t run Symbian and does have 3G, is likely running a version of Series 40.
The Nokia Asha series phones are pretty good, all run Series 40, five models have 3G (Asha 300, 302, 303, 311, 503), and they’re fairly recent (the last Asha 503 model was released in Oct. 2013). See the link above for more on the Asha series.
The best Asha 3G phones are the ones with full QWERTY keypads like the Asha 303 and 302. The problem is that a NOS Asha 303/302 from a reputable seller on ebay or Amazon costs around $200 these days due to high demand for 3G dumb phones! And that’s IF you can find one at all. Plus, depending where you are and where the phone comes from originally, there can be radio band incompatibilities.
Asha 303:
http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_asha_303-4278.php
Asha 302:
http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_asha_302-4546.php
Wio LTE GPS tracker for
Australia: https://www.seeedstudio.com/Wio-LTE-AU-Version-4G%2C-Cat.1%2C-GNSS%2C-Espruino-Compatible-p-2999.html
Europe: https://www.seeedstudio.com/Wio-LTE-EU-Version-4G%2C-Cat.1%2C-GNSS%2C-Espruino-Compatible-p-2998.html
Wio LTE Japan version: https://www.seeedstudio.com/Wio-LTE-JP-Version-4G%2C-Cat.1%2C-Espruino-Compatible-p-3018.html